1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-recording device, and more particularly to an image recording-device that can record image on both sides of a sheet, and a printer driver that controls recording condition of the image-recording device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recording device such as an inkjet recording device including a printer, a copier machine, a facsimile and a plotter records image on a sheet by discharging ink from its inkjet head onto the sheet so that the ink may permeate through the sheet from one side to the other. Consequently, the image on one side of the sheet seen from the other side may be blurred, and the sheet may be curled and cockled. It should be noted that a type of the sheet is not limited to paper, and includes any types of material whereto the ink adheres.
Especially when the inkjet recording device records images on both sides of the sheet, quality of the images decreases substantially if the image on one side seen from the other side is blurred by ink permeation, and conveyance ability of the sheet decreases by the inkjet recording device if the sheet is curled or cockled.
Accordingly, a conventional inkjet recording device as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 06-134982 alters color density of an image to be recorded on a sheet (a record medium) depending on a recording-side mode that is either a two-sided recording mode or a one-side recording mode. Alternatively, the conventional inkjet recording device alters a waiting period that lies after recording one side and before recording the other side in the two-sided recording mode according to a type of the sheet so that ink on the sheet dries quickly. Additionally, a conventional inkjet recording device as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 05-32024 decreases the color density of the image to be recorded on the sheet.
However, the quality of the images on both sides of the sheet decreases on the two-sided recording mode by altering the color density of the images depending on the two-sided recording mode or the one-side recording mode. Additionally, recording speed on the two-sided recording mode decreases by providing the waiting period, and does not prevent the above-described problems.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an image-recording device that records a high-quality image on a sheet by minimizing blurriness of an image on one side of the sheet seen from the other side of the sheet, and curling and cockling of the sheet.
The above-described object of the present invention is achieved by an image-recording device, including a control unit setting a recording-side mode to one of a one-side recording mode and a two-sided recording mode, and setting a recording parameter related to a recording speed and quality of the image recorded on the sheet for each surface of the sheet, wherein the control unit sets a first numerical value to the recording parameter when the recording-side mode is set to the one-side recording mode, and sets a second numerical value to the recording parameter when the recording-side mode is set to the two-sided recording mode, and a recording head that records the image on the sheet in the recording-side mode set by the control unit.
The image-recording device records the high-quality image on the surface of the sheet by altering the first numerical value for the one-side recording mode and the second numerical value for the two-sided recording mode as the recording parameter, for instance, a path number that is a number of paths, which the recording head takes to record the image on the surface of the sheet, a nozzle number that is a number of nozzles, which the recording head uses to record the image on the surface of the sheet, drive frequency that is a frequency of the recording head at which the recording head records the image on the surface of the sheet, a dot number that is a maximum number of dots, which the recording head records in an area unit of the surface of the sheet and dot density that is density of dots, which the recording head records in an area unit of the surface of the sheet.
Additionally, the other object of the present invention is to provide a printer driver that controls an image-recording device to record a high-quality image on a sheet by minimizing blurriness of an image on one side of the sheet seen from the other, and curling and cockling of the sheet.
The other object of the present invention is achieved by a printer driver controlling an image-recording device that records an image on a surface or images on both surfaces of a sheet according to a recording-side mode by use of a recording head, wherein the image-recording device records the image on the surface when the recording-side mode is set to a one-side recording mode, and the images on both surfaces of the sheet when the recording-side mode is set to a two-sided recording mode, the printer driver setting a recording parameter related to a recording speed and quality of the image recorded on the surface of the sheet to a first numerical value for the one-side recording mode, and a second numerical value for the two-sided recording mode.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.